Cue the fireworks, please

Oh boy! Good things are cooking this week. Zsolt has finished his corrections, and he’s volunteered to pack up the entire household (“Don’t worry, Catherine, I’ll pack everything” – he’s almost like Superman); plus one of my very best friends will be visiting in Hungary (with the specific request to party at a European nightclub, however I have to say that in general European clubs share a striking resemblance to North American clubs: darkness, sticky dance floor, cheesy but fun music, overpriced drinks . . . actually, there is a difference, the men dance, and they dance well). And – oh boy, here it comes – and I’ve been asked to write an article for an awesome magazine! WOOOOOOHOOOOO!

WHOOOOOOHOOOO! Whoot-Whoot! Yes! Distribute the exclamatives, and high fives all around. If you’re at the screen reading this post, please – give someone a high five on my behalf.

It’s really exciting news. I’ll be writing a piece around my experience with Facing Cancer Together, which is a site for women/carers/family to meet and ask questions, find support, connect with others. When dealing with a cancer diagnosis so much STUFF begins to spin (e.g. will my work keep me, what’s treatment like, how can I cope?) so having a common area to ask questions and share stories is basically essential for coping. Plus, when you do reach a high moment (e.g. successful surgery, treatment completion, feeling good about life) there are others who want to celebrate that success with you – everyone ‘gets’ it. I’m quite proud to blog for their site.

Anyhow – it’s exciting. And I’m not blurting this out for bragging purposes (though a few more WoHoos might push the ‘obnoxious’ button soon) but keeping good news hidden is somewhat similar (though less extreme) as keeping bad news hidden. The act of hiding creates a strange balloon-like pressure inside my chest; it’s like my cheeks are going to puff out with me holding my tongue when all I want to do is laugh and smile. Anyhow, it’s a great opportunity and positive step forward.

Further good news: my parade of social engagements continues. Yesterday it was dinner at a quality Polish restaurant in Southampton (Stacja PL Restaurant) with mulled beer for Zsolt, and a stewed sauerkraut & sausage dish for me. Yum. This morning it is Tragos (surprise!) for breakfast with friends, and so on, and so forth right through to next week, when everything stops and the packing begins.

This assignment is exactly the boost I need to distract from all this change, and it’s exactly the sort of challenge I love. What’s better than that?

What about you? Any good news to share? Don’t keep it bottled up – it’s okay to have a shining moment. (Took me a long time to realize that, my mom often said: Catherine, you hide yourself so others don’t feel bad – well, hopefully she approves this post, because there’s no hiding here! – and no one feel bad either, I hope.)

* I’m late for Tragos! No time to grammar and spell check (probably shouldn’t post in that case, but screw it! I’m posting.)